Flexible frame of a collapsible boat



April 30, 1940., Q WERNER 2,198,687

FLEXIBLE FRAME OF' A COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed Jan. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIGA.

Mmmm@ JTW! April 30, 1940.

G. WERNER 2,198,687

FLEXIBLE FRAME OF A COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed Jan. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A QS OO 0o u w m LO "D Q' "D E:

1Q w r LO Y 3 u if) QQ mvENToR Apri13o,1940.l GWENER' 2,198,687

Y FLEXIBLE FRAME OF A COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed Jan. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR A 4V, ai, 21. a W@ Patented Apr. 30, 1940 e l f 1" FLXBLE or AL eoLLAPsIBLE BOAT e Guenther Werner;Peking,` China, 'assignorto "GerhardaYoilifHessert,iNew York, Nr'Yg` Applieationuanary "4, 1938seria1 No. 186,532;

,.i i. i *tuerie inrentionrelates .i to ,improvements in collapsible 1ameworlr` `offffoilding,boats usually consist" of `rigid shapeS which are `.fastened together @t to," alge ai, boat shape. To set `the boat up these: Shapes; are attached. twitch, `other, lby. screws `or other couplings, they rigid ribs and `keel ,usually Stipulatingfhefform of ,thebcat` Whentheframe i been erected r a `separate cover, o-f some, water,- mproof-fabricis drawn over it andmade taut. 'Io `take the` `boat down the covering is `taken` ofi, the` ,screwsl or.` other connections loosened tand `the membersof the frame taken apart, or' folded upon e themselves" byA hinges, and ,the various `compo;

lm nents put lawayin` `a duileubag `or knapsack, .or

buhdfftogetherfina bundle. `To set unsucha `beat usually ,l requires -from e `twenty` to thirty minutes.` l y1 f 'lh principle of having a frame made of` several m separate parts which areput together when it is `desired to use` the boat land are separatedmagain to enable it to be packedinto a small spaceis `not `applied in this invention. Inthis invention the frane iswmade if `run 1en`gth longitudinal "and transverse members formed from strips of pliable resilientmaterial joined to eachother parma` `neatly and having a Cover .and deckit@rma1`1ti1}t,1yi`

f attanea tp it. ,Y The pbiectofmy intention is that amat market@ mad@ that lit may be.; relied` up complete-fi a, i With the deck` and` teven Still` attach@ tfthefraine, in `their proper platea. along its length ,frornfeithen end into asm'all.

`spacewhen it is desired to pack` it or carryit. The r onlyfoperation required beforekthe `boat when` set` A, up ,can `besoprolled is Atoxlunfasten a connection between the twoiongitudinai halveschtiteneck.l

f When rolledgthe boat issecuredby `a strap around itsfcircumference, ,toihold it against the stress ofnthe resilient framem Tdset upvtheiboat the m, strap is unfastened `and fthe boatiunrolls itselt byvirtueofthe-frames resilience into whatiis later inthis` specification described as the first stategji Theidockcisthen stretchedbyclosng,its; central longitudinalopening by a `fastenenbrngw, ingrthe` boat into` its shape forusei Thewhole:` i i. process of vsetting up takes only from thirtywtoill` `forty seconds as contrastedwiththe twenty to., thirtyi-minutes consumed by `setting upc` ,other kinds of `folding boats.

` theiframe. FigureZis :aprolexofthe frame.l Figure 3 is a general View ofthe iframe; partly rolled up on itself. Figure 4flis ageneral view of i @Lft-,2i r i t t M i idnal View along" lines Fig 1, but with a cover loosely infplace.'` Figure 7 is a sectional view along line `:l1-y, Fig. 4. Figure `8 is anenla'rged sectionof the upper part along the same number i. asin Fig.` 6, showing detailslof the gunwale rein- 5 r forcement.` Figure 9is anenlarged sectionogf the upper` part alongthe same sectionas in Fig. 7;

showing `details of the gunwale reinforcement.`

Figures 10 and `11l are sectionalviews` of modificai tions of gunwale reenforcements taken alongnline" 10 r The frame is sofdesigned that it"`assumes;three `states.` The iirst state, Figs. 1 and'z,y it takes naturally upon construction or release from either of the other Vtwo states. The secoindstatef 15 section Fig.1 `5---is assumedl when the frame in its. rst state is rolledV up and confined inthe roll against its resilience. The third state,` Fig. 4is

that .whichA it lassumes `when the edges lare drawn towards'each` other and` secured `by a Adecl;andfg'o so made into arigidhull, `the deck being 1made taut by andstraining against itsresilience; Y,

JIfhe frame is made of thin strips ofniaterial that must combine i strengthf `,with lightness and thinness: and `must begbothpliableand resilient; 125

The same material is used throughout the frame. The strips may be of wood of suiiicientpliability `furthe frame to berolled up leng thways---IV` prefer to use strips of .,splitbambooomite may" ,beI of steel or othermetal. Long strips toa sufficient 30'` number form thezlongitudinal members and run the full length ofthe boat, as shown inthe Figures 1;, andgZ, `where `theyfare lmarked r I. The transverse members 2 are shorter strips toyaisufr-j` ficient number laid across them and rigidlyQand 35 1 permanently secured toy themby any convenient fastening.` 'Ihe.;length of` the individual longi, tudinal` and `transverse members is` such that`r` when the frame is made;` it has the shape of a shallow trough rising` towards the pointedjiends 40 with evenly*` curving sides. Its Youtline is that of i" Figure `1"andutsfprofile is shown in Figure 2.- Figure `6 showsia section along half the transverse` membermarked-:c in Figure 1 when inthis state. V g i r .45 ',{Ihis gframe` can, by` Virtue` of its form `and the pliabilityrof` itsfmembers, berolled upon-itselfj from` end` to end into aismall space without disturbing therelationshipof the members to eacht` other. Theframe (without covering and gunwale 59;. i

reinforcement),` is shown partly rolled in Figure 3,

;When` it .ishdes'ired that the `frame -takethel shape'vof ahul1, asin `Fig`urexi,the `edges are. drawn up and towards eachother and held there bya deck 3 made fast to each edge. When this 55 fj Nj i A2,198,687

' has been done the shallow trough of YFigures 1 vand 2 has become narrower and deepera section along the same transverse member, as Figure 6, injthis state is shown in Figure T-While the pointed ends may be stillhigher than the edges orv Forv congunwales amidships as in AFigurev 4. venience the edges ofthe deck are permanently fastened to the gunwales and the deck itself cut along the longitudinal centre line'of the boat; the vedgesof this'severance are secured together when it is desired to use the boat-by, means such lshall later be described.

to secure the cover to the frame, soth'at' cover, frame and'deck are rolled up together and there; is no separate packing of them. Figure 5 shows section of the complete boat-frame, decrk'-k and secured to the frame.

Althoughthe boat may te inade'witii thev over or `skin entirely apartirorn therframe, inV which case it must be placed overtheframeafter ithasj been brought to the proper shape, it is desirable, anda special object of this inventionpermanently' cover-ain its 'rolled up, or second state. y 'lhe covert` may be of canvas o-r 'other fabric which may be strengthened or linished rub--` ber, lacquer orp'aint. Rubberig'ed canvas may be usefully employed. Itis out on'the biasv so 'that it may take .the propershape ofi-"the jframe and is'` The outer` ledges of the twovportionsfof the deck also of canvas or fabric, are secured to the frame in the same place as the cover 4. This is done asshown in details` .inany of the Figures 8, 9 or l0. g3 is `the'deck,l

4' the cover. The edges of deck -andcover are sewn together a-ndtogether secured by heavy stitches I2 to aschang strip 9 of heavy braided cordwhichf is itself secured along the gunwale With the `same stitches l2. This vchai-lng strip 9 runsthe full length ofthe boatand serves both A'. When the deck has been stretchedthe complete `tosecure 'the coverand `deck' to' the frame and to'protect the deck from chafing wheiei'ts pressurefis on the frame, as shown in Figures 9,` a11 d1'1."' f v To-preparethe boat for use the two portions of the deck 3 are brought together until theymeet inthe centrey by applyingsome continuous fastener5 such as a slide fastener as shown in Figures boat forms a gi'rder rigid in all directions. -As in' a basket a rigid'band'arcund'th-e edge' connes theipliable Withes of which it is' made into a rigid form 'so the tension'of "the deck against the resilience of the members of the frame confines them into rigidity.

However, asA the deck isof fabric and 'has no' Wooden or metal supports or bracesthere might occursome slight distortion'of'the` gunwales and A'hence 'of the boat. `To prevent `this I do two things. First; 'the fabric of theV deck is vout on Vuo the bias to the centre line, so that the individual threads il of the `fabric act as tensional braces as sho-wn in Figure 4. Second; it is a special object vof this' invention to strengthen and sup-` port the gunwale Ias-follows. yFigures 8l' and 9 showy the gunwale reinforcement in its two positions. y'Ihese figures are 'enlarged sections Aof Figures Gand 7 respectively, showing `details of" Figure 8" shows the the gunwale reinforcement. member in the ilrs'tv and second state of the frame, Figurey 9 in the third state; At 'the ends of lthe transverse members Z fabric or, leather loops 1 are fastened'to the gunwale tightly fitting yover the reinforcingstrip- 8 `ofthesamematerial it tightly at an angle against thexgunwale.

as thecframe and having a section as shown.V It runs the full length of the boat.l When the boat ris in either the irst or second state this strip lies back as in Figure 8 and is rolled up with the vframe as shown in Figure 5. j-.When the boat is used the deck 3 is stretched over it, bringing it tothe position shown in Figure19` and jamming This angle gives such rigidity as prevents distortion.

Another method of preventing distortion of the igunwale is by stiffening the fabric of the deck in Y afstrip along its edge with some stii material. 'This may be done by applying a strip of lacquer to the deck, as shown in Figure 10,'where l0 is a v.strirfof lacquer applied to the deck 3 when stretched, which, havingimpregnated the fabric l anddriedfhard actsin the same way as the revby any of the usual means of shaping sheet metal,

lsuchas panel beating or by means'of .a rolling mill having appropriate rollers. "Figure 11 shows a' part'sectfion along the sametransverse mem'-A berv as Figure 7; illustrating theuse ofy a hard cover .I'L f WhatIclaimis: l 1 l; A 'collapsible boatconsisting ofa frame of lexibl'e and elastic members permanently fas# tened together, said frame having a heavy braided ycord permanently attached to the gunwales, a

deck'divided lin two -portionsvand a` cover both being permanently secured to said*A cord in""'s uch manner' that said 'cord acts jas af permanentv con-l nection betweendeck, cover and frame, and acts also as a chafing strip between the deckand the frame, said deck, frame and cover being 'rolled` A`2. Aframey for ajcollaps'ible boat consistingeniti'rely' fof: strips of flexible materiaL certain 'offv said' strips'ext'ending longitudinally of thev frame` entirelyffrom end toI end thereof, others of sadf` strips. extending transversely of the fratrier and .entirelyr` from side'to side thereof, means joining the respective ends of the longitudinal strips-to-v gether at common points, means rigidly interconnecting the longitudinala'nd transverse strips 'at' ytheponts of intersection whereby the `frame mayY be rolled vupon itself. f A l Y f. 3: The: frame as claimed? in" claim-2 wherein means are provided for interconnecting the side longitudinall strips `whereby, said yjfr'a'me is constrainedfto maintain the? formlof a boat. 4i The frame as claimedfin claim 2, wherein fabric deck meansis provided "extending between and interconnecting the side' longitudinal strips and wherein? said fabric :isA connetedf to thet'saidl f `iframe on' the bias providingy a multitude of ten-' jsionalfcrossbraces'whereby the frame is rigidly constrainedinthe iormof a boat.-

51. The frame as clairrred in clairni'*2including;-

`'deck means extending between and intercom" necting the side longitudinaliv strips yand reirifor'cwv ing means along. the, interconnection between the. side strips and the deck means.` f,fx(EtUlEINTHERVl/'ERNEltsg`A Uli 

